The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-05-07
the coMFEpERAcY.
JEFF Davis POStmastereGener-
ais Recollections Of Thlngs.

Senator Reagan, OF Texas, hat
had for some years q purpose tt
write q book, in which he would
set forth his personal recollections
of the men and measurers of thu
Confederacy.
His recollections of the first Con
federate congress that met in Rich
mond, if told as he describes them
in informal conversation, will make
highly interesting reading. Most
of the members we're men in mid
die life. Many of them had been in
the national congress. Half of them
were impressed by tremendous
consciousness that the Confederacy
would still be dream but for their
efforts, and almost every mothers
son of them was an orator of great.
er or less repute. Mr.. Davis, who
though very pleasing orator him
self, had small regard for perfervid
eloquence at such times, used to re-
gard the meeting of the congress as
a necessary nuisance. Yet he
knew that in a body composed OF
such men as Yancey and Wigfall
and Cobb and Ben Hill, every one
of them brilliantly loquacious,
there would be an interminable
clatter of prefervid tongues, and it
was frequently only by the most
desperate executive pressure that
the congress could quit oratorv
and come down to the humble
work of passing bills.
There was one short, thick-set lit
tie fellow, with sandy hair, freckled
skin, and pre-eminent assurance
and volubility. He brought to the
Confederate senate great reputa-
ton as an orator who could sway
vast audiences, and could wiring
tears from them or set them
to squirming with laughter, but
above all, could fire the South
ern heart as no orator or the
famous fire eater quartet could
and it was said that he had by his
speeches brought Missouri into the
Confederacy in spite of the federal
bayonets. Senator Reagan had
heard much of his youthful prodigy
of eloauence, and went one day to
the Confederate senate to hear him
speak. When he entered there
stood a sandy-haired young man in
tie aisle, looking very puny beside
such a man as Ben Hill, who was
eyeing him beneath his palms
which were shading his eyes, and
with a whimsical look (; and Yam.
cey, with a half-amused, half-earn'
est expression, watched the little
fellow as he squirmed with the vic.
lence of his gesticulations, and
over in the corner stood tall, cad.
averous-cheeked man with thin
gray hair, who had once been pres
ident of the United States, listen
ing intently to the young orators
burning words. Reagan was not
very greatly impressed with the
speech, for Reagan cares little fol
howery oratory. and at that time
especially regarded the occasion al
one for deeds, not words. Still hs
thought the young speaker promis
ed well.
When ne takes his seat in th'
senate next session Senator Reagan
will find among his welcomers
short, thick-set man, with rount
head set down plump upon yer.
square, broad shoulders, with sand,
hair turning gray, and he will dis
cover slight traces of the boyish
looking Confederate senator from
Missouri in George Vest now. Yes
is sometimes flowery and now ant
then peppery, but the fire tina
made him hero Of the stump II
Southwestern Missouri twenty-sev
en- years ago is dumped, and ther
glow in its place only the Goals Q
restrained emotion. But what Yes
has lost in fire he has gained in fun
fun. and he fly in sotto voce conn
cal remarks and quaint witticism
about the business Of the senate o
the peculiarities of fellow-senator
that set his associates flying to tn
cloakroom to laughing.
Ben Hill was undoubtedly tn
most popular orator in the Sout
in the days of the Confederacy
though Toombs rivaled him, and
was an open secrect that Vance.
the typical fire-eater, was almos
morbidly jealous Of Hills popula'
itv. 1t was this passion ratht
than any that arose during the q
bate that led to the fight in tn
Confederate senate, when Vance
threw an ink bottle at Hills hea'
Many Confederates expected to st
Hill succeed Davis as president
the Confederacy, though Dav
would have regretted it: II II
Confedcracy had established itseI
Lee would have been strong cand
date for the presidency, though IL
politicians of the South would ha'
prevented his nomination, If poss
ble. Hill himself believed that
: was in the line Of succession. /
|! was a man Of very great intluen'